Telehealth Speech Therapy: What It Is, Who It Helps, and How It Works
Telehealth speech therapy lets children and adults receive personalized speech and language treatment through live online sessions with a licensed speech-language pathologist. It's also called telepractice, teletherapy, or online speech therapy. You can connect from home or another private location, so you don't need to drive to a clinic.
Many people wonder whether teletherapy works as well as in-person sessions. For many, it can, though not for everyone.
In this article, you'll learn who telehealth speech therapy can help, how it compares with in-person sessions, and what you need to get started.
Key Takeaways
Telehealth speech therapy: Live online speech therapy with a licensed speech-language pathologist.
Who it helps: Children, teens, and adults with speech, language, voice, fluency, and cognitive-communication difficulties.
Effectiveness: Research suggests comparable outcomes for some conditions, but online treatment isn't the best fit for everyone.
What Is Telehealth Speech Therapy?
Who Can Telehealth Speech Therapy Help?
Are Teletherapy Sessions as Effective as In-Person Speech Therapy?
What Do You Need for a Telehealth Session?
What We See Working with Clients
What Is Telehealth Speech Therapy?
During a telehealth session, your speech-language pathologist can assess and treat speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders using interactive activities, pictures, games, and other materials shared on screen.
One of the biggest benefits of telehealth speech therapy is convenience. You can access specialized care without traveling to a clinic, making it easier to fit appointments into your schedule. This is especially helpful for busy families, working professionals, and people with mobility challenges.
Receiving speech therapy from home also provides a familiar, comfortable environment that can help reduce anxiety when practicing communication skills. Online sessions reduce exposure to illnesses associated with visiting clinics and waiting rooms, which is particularly beneficial for people with compromised immune systems or other health concerns.
Who Can Telehealth Speech Therapy Help?
Telehealth speech therapy helps children, teens, and adults with a wide range of speech, language, voice, and communication difficulties.
For adults, treatment can address aphasia following a stroke, apraxia of speech, dysarthria, stuttering, voice disorders, and communication changes associated with Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions. Therapy also addresses cognitive-communication difficulties involving memory, attention, and organization, as well as social communication challenges.
Children and teens receive online speech therapy for articulation and phonological disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, receptive and expressive language delays, stuttering, and social communication difficulties. Therapy can also address communication skills related to autism, ADHD, and executive functioning.
Telehealth sessions are personalized to each person's age, abilities, and goals, with activities and strategies designed to help them communicate more effectively in everyday situations.
Are Teletherapy Sessions as Effective as In-Person Speech Therapy?
Research suggests that telehealth speech therapy can produce outcomes comparable to in-person treatment for certain communication disorders. A 2021 review of five studies involving people with aphasia following a stroke found no significant differences in outcomes between online and in-person therapy. However, the researchers noted that the available evidence was limited.
The best treatment format depends on your specific needs. Some individuals need hands-on cueing or other support that is difficult to provide online. A speech-language pathologist can assess your needs and help you determine the most appropriate treatment format.
Speech Therapy Near Me: Compare In-Person vs Online Options
Compare the pros and cons of each option before you book.
What Do You Need for a Telehealth Session?
You'll need a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone, a reliable internet connection, and a quiet space with minimal distractions. Logging in a few minutes early gives you time to address any technology issues before your session begins.
Parents and caregivers should stay nearby during sessions with younger children to help with technology, encourage participation, and learn strategies to support communication skills between appointments.
What We See Working with Clients
Telehealth speech therapy makes specialized care more accessible by eliminating the need to travel to appointments. The following examples illustrate how telehealth speech therapy has helped clients with different communication needs. Identifying details have been changed to protect their privacy.
One client sought speech therapy after a stroke left him with difficulty finding words. The nearest clinic was far from his home, making regular appointments difficult. He sought us out because some research showed that stroke patients with aphasia have found similar results with online and in-person speech therapy.
During live online sessions, we worked on word retrieval and practiced everyday communication tasks, including making phone calls. Over time, he became more confident making calls independently, although finding words was still harder when he was tired.
Another family contacted us because their 6-year-old daughter had difficulty producing certain speech sounds, and people at school frequently asked her to repeat herself. During live online sessions, we used interactive games and activities to practice her speech sounds, with her mother participating and learning strategies to reinforce the skills at home. As therapy progressed, her teacher reported that her speech was becoming easier to understand.
Frequently Asked Questions About Telehealth Speech Therapy
1. Is telepractice speech therapy private and secure?
Yes, telehealth speech therapy can be private and secure when providers use HIPAA-compliant technology and follow appropriate privacy practices. Ask your speech therapist what measures they take to protect your personal and medical information.
2. Can my speech-language pathologist be in a different state?
Yes. Your speech-language pathologist can be located in another state as long as they're legally authorized to provide services in the state where you're physically located during your appointment. This generally requires an active state license or another recognized authorization to practice.
3. Can a speech therapy app replace online speech therapy?
Speech therapy apps can help you practice specific skills between sessions, but they don't replace personalized treatment. During live online sessions, your speech therapist evaluates your progress, gives immediate feedback, and adjusts exercises to meet your needs.
4. Do skills practiced online carry over to daily life?
Telehealth speech therapy includes strategies to help you use new communication skills in everyday situations. Practicing from home provides opportunities to work on skills in a familiar environment. Your speech therapist can also recommend activities to help you apply what you've learned at home, school, or work.
5. Is online speech therapy a good fit for young children?
Many young children participate successfully in online speech therapy using interactive games, pictures, and age-appropriate activities. Parents and caregivers often join sessions to help their children participate and learn strategies to support communication development throughout the day.
6. When is in-person speech therapy a better fit?
In-person speech therapy can be a better option for individuals who need hands-on techniques, specialized equipment, or additional support that is difficult to provide online. Some children and adults also benefit from in-person sessions when attention, technology, or other factors make virtual participation challenging.
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help
At Connected Speech Pathology, we provide online speech therapy for adults experiencing speech, language, voice, fluency, and cognitive-communication difficulties. We also offer pediatric speech therapy for children and teens who need support with speech sounds, language development, stuttering, and social communication.
During live online sessions, you'll work one-on-one with a licensed speech-language pathologist who develops a personalized treatment plan based on your needs and goals. Sessions focus on building practical communication skills you can use at home, school, work, and in everyday conversations.
Summary
Telehealth speech therapy provides children and adults with access to individualized treatment during live online sessions. It offers a convenient alternative to clinic visits for many speech, language, voice, and communication difficulties.
With personalized treatment and opportunities to practice between sessions, telehealth speech therapy helps clients work toward communication goals in their everyday lives.
About the Author
Allison Geller, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a communication coach, speech-language pathologist, and founder of Connected Speech Pathology, an international online practice providing professional communication coaching and speech therapy for children, teens, and adults. With more than two decades of experience, she has worked in medical and educational settings and published research on aphasia. Today, she leads a team of specialists who help clients improve their skills in public speaking, vocal presence, accent clarity, articulation, language, fluency, and interpersonal communication.
